Judge Temporarily Allows Kountze High School to Use Bible Banners at Football Games

The other day, I posted about a public high school in Kountze, Texas, where cheerleaders held signs with Bible verses for the football players to run through as they came onto the field at the beginning of their games. After a letter from FFRF was sent to the district, the school temporarily halted the prayer banners, causing thousands of residents to freak out. As of this writing, the now-closed “Support Kountze Kids Faith” Facebook group has over 36,000 members.

Now, there’s an update. State District Judge Steven Thomas of Hardin County has allowed the school to keep the Bible banners… at least until October 4th, when a court hearing will take place:

On Thursday, a judge granted a request by the nonprofit Liberty Institute law firm to temporarily bar the implementation of the ban. It also set a hearing for early October when the sides will be able to make their arguments. The cheerleaders planned to raise their 20-foot banners at Thursday evening’s junior varsity football game.

20-foot banner? Damn. Someone’s God is insecure…

Well, they should enjoy it while it lasts because court precedence is against them.

If this were a Muslim banner instead of a Christian one, you know damn well that the community wouldn’t be crying foul at all. They certainly wouldn’t be arguing that the courts are “discriminating” against the cheerleaders by stopping them from hoisting the banners. Instead, they would argue that religion has no place at a public school event.

They’re not doing that now because they’re blinded by their own beliefs. All they need to do is take one step back and see it the way the courts do (or should, anyway) — a way that suggests Christianity is no more special than any other religion.

***Edit***: I love commenter Gordon Duffy‘s idea:

I think a compromise is possible. While they wait for the hearing they should have bible banners, but they should let atheists pick the verses.